.png){kind=small}
*Photo via USA Today
The Atlanta Hawks' Mike Budenholzer, who guided the team to the best regular season in franchise history, is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year, the NBA announced today.
Budenholzer received 67 first-place votes and 513 total points from a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr, who led the Pacific Division champions to a franchise-record and NBA-high 67 victories in his first season as an NBA coach, finished second with 56 first-place votes and 471 total points. Jason Kidd of the Milwaukee Bucks was third with one first-place vote and 57 total points. Coaches were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote. - Via NBA.com
There is no question Budenholzer had an impressive season, his team went from an eight seed in the Eastern Conference to having the second best record in the NBA. This all with a team that lacks a true superstar, so they win their games with cohesive team basketball. A system that Budenholzer has gotten his players to buy into.