At the start of the new season, Erik Spoelstra from the Miami Heat is the consensus favorite to win the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year at +900 odds, followed by Steve Nash (Brooklyn Nets), Quin Snyder (Utah Jazz), Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls), and Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors).
Spoelstra came close to winning the Coach of the Year in the past, but he never got over the hump because many insiders credit the Heat’s championships in 2012 and 2013 to LeBron James or Pat Riley. These days, Spoelstra gets a lot of respect. NBA executives recently selected Spoelstra as the top coach in the league in a preseason poll.
| 2022 NBA Coach of the Year Odds |
- Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) +900
- Steve Nash (Brooklyn Nets) +950
- Quin Snyder (Utah Jazz) +1000
- Billy Donovan (Chicago Bulls) +1000
- Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors) +1000
- Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns) +1200
- Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets) +1300
- Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks) +1400
- Mike Budenholzer (Milwaukee Bucks) +1500
- Nate McMillan (Atlanta Hawks) +1500
- Frank Vogel (LA Lakers) +1500
- James Borrego (Charlotte Hornets) +1600
- Tom Thibodeau (NY Knicks) +1600
- Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies) +1800
- Ty Lue (LA Clippers) +1900
- Ime Udoka (Boston Celtics) +2000
- Rick Carlisle (Indiana Pacers) +2000
- Doc Rivers (Philadelphia 76ers) +2500
- Chauncey Billups (Portland Trail Blazers) +2500
Tom Thibodeau from the New York Knicks won the 2021 NBA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after he led the surprising Knicks to the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Valuetown: Nash, Snyder, and Donovan
Nash made his rookie coaching debut with the Brooklyn Nets last season. If the Nets weren’t dinged up, they could have won a title in his first season. This season, Nash has to handle Kyrie Irving and his vaccination drama. When you’re a head coach in New York City, it’s a relentless, 24/7 media circus.
You can back Nash at +950 odds at DraftKings to win the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year. If Nash can lead the Nets to the NBA Finals and successfully navigate the Nets through the latest Irving drama, he’ll certainly be worthy of the coveted COY award.
Snyder led the Utah Jazz to a stellar season last year. He was one of the front runners to win Coach of the Year last season before Thibs edged him out due to his magnificent work in pulling the Knicks out of the gutter. Snyder is the second-favorite on the prop betting board at +950 odds, right behind Spoelstra in Coach of the Year betting.
Donovan leads a young and exciting team with the Chicago Bulls. He has a great core with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Plus, the front office went out and added key players like Lonzo Ball to rebuild Da Bulls into playoff contenders. Donovan is +1000 odds to win his first NBA Coach of the Year award.
Multi-winners: Kerr, Thibs, Budenholzer?
Kerr is the only coach in the top eight who previously won an NBA Coach of the Year award. He earned the honor back in 2016 with the Golden State Warriors. Ten coaches won this prestigious award twice, and Kerr would like to join them.
Thibodeau is +1600 odds to win the Coach of the Year in consecutive seasons with the Knicks. Thibs already has two awards, but a third COY win would thrust him into a tie with Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, and Don Nelson.
Budenholzer is currently +1500 odds to win the NBA Coach of the Year. He’s seeking a third COY award, which would put him in elite company with Riley and Pops. He won his first COY award back in 2015 with the Atlanta Hawks, and snagged his second one in 2019 with the Milwaukee Bucks. He guided the Bucks to 60 wins that season, but they failed to reach the NBA Finals. The Bucks finally got over the hump last season and won the championship.