Voters Swing and Miss on NBA Coach of the Year

They've been the team in the spotlight all year long. Heck, they have potential to be one of the greatest teams in the history of sport should they conclude the season with a championship. The Golden State Warriors have dominated, in every sense of the word, the athletic world this season and recently concluded a 73-9 regular season. With that comes a focus on winning a championship and completing what would be the greatest season in NBA history. Yet there is now an undeserved accolade involving the Warriors' head coach, Steve Kerr.

Kerr's surgery sidelined him for 43 games

During the off-season, Kerr underwent a very serious back surgery that sidelined him for the first half of this season. Unable to even leave his house to attend practices, Kerr handed the head coaching duties over to Luke Walton while Kerr worked to recover from the procedure. Life was not much fun for Kerr having to sit at home and watch his team begin the season 24-0, all while dealing with excruciating pain. It's honestly a sad story, one that kept Kerr from being a part of the first half of this phenomenal year.

However, now Kerr is back and helped lead the Warriors to a 39-5 record once he returned to the sidelines. His team, obviously, captured the number one overall seed and is currently in the middle of a first round series with the lackluster Houston Rockets. And while the Warriors deal with the loss of their MVP, Stephen Curry, the team did receive the great news today that their head coach was voted Coach of the Year. An award that will surely be celebrated in the Bay, but still manages to raise eyebrows around the league.

I understand the Warriors broke the '96 Bulls record of 72-10 this year. That's an undisputed fact and truly a testament to the grit of this Golden State bunch. But Kerr does not deserve Coach of the Year for multiple reasons. Yes, the wins the Dubs collected in Kerr's absence technically go under his name because he was still the head coach during his recovery, but Kerr did as much coaching in those games as the fans who were sitting at home did. Which would be absolutely nothing. He was not on the bench, nor was he whispering in Luke Walton's ear telling him which plays to run, which substitutions to make, or when to call a timeout. That was Luke Walton's team and those were Luke Walton's coaching moves. Kerr did not have any presence during the first half of this historic season, not because he didn't want to be there, but because his surgery kept him out. Again, all the sympathy in the world for Kerr and the utmost respect for working to make a full recovery. But he should not get a free pass just because his team broke a record. He was not there for those wins, they do not belong to him.

Not only was Kerr absent for the first half of the season, but even when he returned, what coaching was there to do? Kerr was handed a perfect situation.. If you look at the roster the Warriors have, a roster with three All-Stars in the starting lineup, how could you possibly fail with that group? Not saying a coach should be penalized for having great players, but when you look at Kerr's situation in relation to other coaches around the league, Kerr hasn't done half the work that other coaches have done.

Lillard is the only returning starter from the '14-'15 Blazers

If anybody should be upset about Kerr being named Coach of the Year, it should be Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers. Over the summer, Stotts lost LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, and Robin Lopez. Four of his five starters. FOUR. That brought back Damian Lillard and forced CJ McCollum to rise to the occasion, which he did, earning this year's Most Improved award. So now, instead of above average role players in Matthews, Batum, and Lopez, alongside one of the best power forwards in the game in Aldridge, Stotts was left with a then-inexperienced McCollum, Mason Plumlee, Al Faroq-Aminu, and Noah Vonleh. Take one look at that starting lineup and tell me which of those four players you'd love to take in a pick-up game as opposed to any other players in the league. Not one player on Stotts' team was named an All-Star, yet here the Blazers sit, all tied up with the Los Angeles Clippers at two games apiece in the first round.

That's the issue with the NBA postseason awards. The Coach of the Year usually goes to the coach with the best record, not the coach who has done the best coaching job given the roster he has. Likewise, the MVP rarely ever goes to the most VALUABLE player. It will usually go to the most OUTSTANDING player. There is a difference. In this case, Stotts did a better job of coaching than Kerr and that starts with the fact that Stotts was able to be with his team for the entire season. You would never award a player who missed half the season the MVP, so why would you award a coach the COY if he wasn't even in the same building as his team for half the season?

More to the point, Kerr wasn't even willing to chase the 73 wins as the season wound down. He vocalized several times his desire to rest guys down the stretch, even if that meant sacrificing a shot at breaking the record. It was the players who overrode him and said that 73 wins was clearly the focus. In the long run, that's not such a big deal as plenty of coaches rest players towards the end, but to have that shot at history and not initially be willing to take it is another negative in the Steve Kerr coaching resume, albeit a small one.

Again, no disrespect whatsoever to the Golden State Warriors and their season. They showed up almost every night ready to play and approached the opportunity to break the Bulls' record with an intensity and an urgency. Hats off to them for a phenomenal season. They deserve praise for what they've accomplished. However, it's wrong to award Steve Kerr Coach of the Year when he was not around for half the season. I think that shows a lack of respect to the coaches who did their job for the full season, and I think that gives a double standard when considering all the postseason awards that are given out.

Maybe the Warriors would have still broken the record with Kerr at the helm all 82 games, but who knows? It would be okay if the NBA named Kerr and Walton co-recipients. That would then be well-deserved for both coaches. But to credit Kerr with the success that Walton led the Warriors to, and then shut out the other coaches who were present all 82 games is a terrible look. It has been a great season and one that will go down in history, but the NBA made a poor decision on who was named the Coach of the Year.

Like Jeter and Manning, Kobe Leaves Us With Thrilling Finish

The great ones don't need to leave the sports world with an exclamation point in their final game. Their body of work speaks for itself and the one final memory isn't necessary to cement greatness. It is an added bonus. Some of the best have struggled with retirement, unsure of when to call it quits. Brett Favre and Michael Jordan come to mind. Others, like Barry Sanders, seem to leave us too soon. In the past few years, we have been blessed to watch three stars in three different sports retire at the right time, and give us one more memory to hold on to.

Kobe Bryant became the latest superstar to close out his career -- 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers that included five championships, an MVP award and back-to-back scoring titles. His 60-point game in the season finale was a vintage Kobe performance that included deep threes, fadeaway jumpers and enough bricks to build a house. But nevermind the bricks or the inefficiency because the point is this: Kobe gave us one more lasting memory. Sports are meant to be fun and Wednesday night at the Staples Center was fun with a extra side of amazing.

Earlier this year, Peyton Manning closed the book on an illustrious career, riding off into the sunset after a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers. Manning, who has gone through his fair share of injuries in recent years like Bryant, wasn't the Manning of 2008, but he was still something to marvel at.

In 2014, Derek Jeter finished his 20 year career with an opposite field walk-off single in the final game of the regular season. The hit was textbook Jeter and added to an already rich legacy in Yankee pinstripes. Sure, it wasn't 2001 Derek Jeter diving into the seats and going to the playoffs, but it was a final memory that we will never forget.

For me, I don't know the NBA without Kobe Bryant, I don't know the NFL without Peyton Manning and I did not know the MLB without Derek Jeter. Those three have been in the league since I was a young boy. I have binders at home with their trading cards, I have worn their jerseys and I have watched them play countless times. It never gets old watching the great ones.

But when Jeter hit the ball through the right side on September 26, 2014, I knew I would never see him swing a bat again. As Peyton held up the Lombardi trophy in February, it was clear that this was it. And as Kobe poured in basket after basket Wednesday night, I wanted the game to last forever. I wanted three overtimes and I never wanted to stop watching Kobe play. But the clock hit zero on the game and simultaneously hit zero on Kobe's career.

After 20 years for Jeter and Bryant, and 17 for Manning that's it. There is no more, but there are the memories and the final ones are memories I'll have forever.

The Youth of the MLB Continues to Shine While the NBA Struggles to Figure it Out

If you pay attention to any sports-related news outlet, you've surely heard the name Trevor Story by now. The Colorado Rockies rookie has wasted no time in making a name for himself this past week as he's already belted seven home runs in his first six major league games, including one in each of his first four games. The season is only eight days old, yet Story already has his batting gloves and helmet displayed in Cooperstown at the Hall of Fame. And while Story's week is certainly one for the record books, his instant success is further proof that the MLB has more than enough young superstars on the rise.

Story has become a household name very early in the season

You hear the argument in college basketball and the NBA about college athletes being "one and done" meaning they attend school for their freshman season then declare for the NBA draft immediately following the conclusion of the season. It's become a trend and it has become an issue not only for the NCAA and its universities, but also for the NBA. The league is watered down with these kids that have no business leaving after one year of college and it's also killing the college game. Kids don't hang around, they treat college as if it's a one-year sentence and then chase the money that very few of them actually end up getting long-term.

Don't get me wrong, every now and then you get a Kevin Durant, a John Wall, or an Anthony Davis who become All-Stars and some of the best in the league. But for every Kevin Durant there's a Greg Oden, for every John Wall there's an Anthony Bennett, and for every Anthony Davis there's a Michael Beasley. The young guys that come into the NBA rarely have any staying power and if they do, they don't make the impact that they were projected to. What's worse is that once these young guys get cut from the NBA they have nowhere to go in order to truly improve and work for another shot at playing professionally. The D-League does absolutely nothing for the players and rarely if ever do we see players get called up to the pros. I understand that there aren't as many players on an NBA roster as there are in the MLB, but the NBA and NCAA don't give the younger players who could have potential any help. They're cheating them by allowing them to leave after one year and they're cheating them by allowing them to rot in the D-League after they're cut from the NBA.

Bennett, once a number 1 pick, averaged 4 minutes in 19 games this season

This is where the MLB has made all the right moves. Trevor Story has already been mentioned, but before Story even came to the league there were guys like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Kris Bryant,  Manny Machado, and Giancarlo Stanton. These players have already reached a high level in the MLB and have had more than enough individual success in their very young careers. But what sets these young stars apart from the young stars in the NBA?


The difference is that the MLB's minor league system is set up with more intention of teaching and allowing adjustment to the professional game than the NBA. In the NBA, you are drafted straight to the pros. You play in the summer league and that's all well and good, but there's no way to adjust to the physicality or speed of the NBA when you're playing other guys your age who are also just coming off their college experience. In the MLB there are three levels of play you could possibly go through before you even set foot in an MLB ballpark. Even Bryce Harper, as successful as he has been, spent time in the minors after he was drafted. There is no rush for players who are drafted into the MLB and rarely if ever are they drafted straight to the professional level. The ball clubs draft their players and then send them through the minor league system so that they learn from multiple coaching staffs and get plenty of higher level experience before being called up to "The Show".

That's what makes the MLB's young stars so exciting. It's the excitement of watching a player grow through AA and AAA ball before they get called up. Being a Cubs fan, I can't tell you how many conversations I've had these past couple years that have involved the sentence "Have you seen how so-and-so is doing in AAA?" Guys like the aforementioned Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Addison Russell, and Jorge Soler have all made a big impact on the Cubs at some point in time because they were ready for the challenge when they got called up. They weren't treated like the one-and-dones from the NCAA in that they weren't thrown into the fire at age 18. And because of that we see far more success stories in the MLB than we ever will in the NBA.

With the embarrassing way the NCAA handles itself and its business combined with a watered down NBA, there's no fix to the problem coming anytime soon. Players who have no business leaving after one year will still leave and the majority won't even be heard from two or three years from now. That's really sad, especially when you're able to look at how many young stars there are in the MLB who haven't even turned 25 yet. The overall excitement over baseball will most likely never trump that of basketball, but it's no secret that the MLB gives fans more to look forward to in the way they foster the young talent. Players are given a chance to succeed in the MLB and if they don't pan out immediately, they're sent right back down the minors where they can figure things out and gain more experience. The NBA doesn't look out for the young players and because of that the league will continue to struggle to find consistent, productive draft classes.

The Greatest Stretch in Sports

A sadness crept over me Tuesday morning as I realized college basketball was out of my life until November. The game had been so good to we the fans, producing unscripted drama throughout the NCAA Tournament that culminated with Kris Jenkins' title-winning 3-pointer to defeat North Carolina Monday night. For three weeks it was hoops heaven, but suddenly it was gone for seven months.

Fear not though, baseball and the Masters have come to the rescue. MLB Opening Day was conveniently placed in between the NCAA Final Four and National Championship, while the Masters began Thursday. The sadness of college basketball being over quickly faded as baseball and golf started up. In addition, the NBA and NHL playoffs are looming and that begs the question: is this the greatest time of year for a sports fan?

Within a month there is the NCAA Tournament, beginning of the NBA and NHL playoffs, The Masters and MLB Opening Day. Depending on your taste in sports, MLS also starts up and the European soccer leagues are coming down to the wire. The NFL Draft will take place April 30 and for those college football fans, spring football has begun.

Whether it's the best time of the year or not, there's no denying that your remote gets a workout around this time of the year.

Here are some other potential candidates for best time of the year...

October - November
The weather becomes a little unfriendly, but the games are wonderful in the fall. NFL and NCAA football are in full swing, which occupies America for the entire weekend. The MLB playoffs take us through October and the World Series caps the postseason in the beginning of November. In addition, the NHL, NBA and NCAA basketball seasons all get underway sometime during the two month stretch. For soccer fans, MLS season is winding down and European soccer leagues are just starting up.

May - August
The summer months are kind to sports fans as several sports give us championships. The NBA and NHL playoffs are played during May and June, while the MLB season is in full swing and the weather is perfect for attending a game. Golf gives us three majors within a six-week stretch and tennis also has three majors in the span. The Triple Crown horse races are run at the beginning of the summer and, depending on the year, the Olympics or the World Cup are played.

December - February
December and February sometimes get lost in the shuffle, but there's plenty to watch in the thick of winter. NCAA football bowl season takes us through Christmas time before the NFL playoffs take over, which leads to the Super Bowl in early February. NCAA basketball conference play gives us enticing matchups every week and the NBA season is in full swing. NHL and European soccer are also in the middle of the season and the Winter Olympics come once every four years. The winter months also feature some of the best stand alone days in sports. Besides Super Bowl Sunday, Christmas Day is fantastic for NBA games, the Premier League takes over Boxing Day with a full slate of games and New Year's Day is must-see TV with college football bowl games and the NHL Winter Classic.

Which time of year is the best? Did we miss anything? Let us know by commenting below with your opinions and be sure to vote on our Twitter poll @WorldofWadley.

Golf Doing Fine in Tiger's Absence

Shortly after Thanksgiving night of 2009, when Tiger Woods crashed his car in a single-car accident and set off a tabloid paper's dream scenario, many wondered if the game of golf could recover. Tiger's personal life was in shambles and his golf game quickly followed suit. There were some high moments for Woods, but by and large his game has spiraled downward to the point where he's a bit of an afterthought. 

10 years ago, maybe even up to two years ago, the idea of Tiger Woods being absent from the Masters and it not being that big of a deal was ludicrous. He was golf's biggest star and breaking Jack Nicklaus' majors record was inevitable. But that was then and this is now. Tiger is done and new faces have stepped to the forefront of the golf world.

The game of golf is just fine. Sure, replacing Tiger Woods is an impossible task and he will still generate more buzz than anybody when he tees it up, but the game of golf didn't need someone to replace Tiger. The game needed fresh faces and the PGA Tour is competitive with guys like Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Rory McIlroy.

It's a matter of preference, but the game is more unpredictable now. 12 different players have won a major in the last four years. It's created a question of who is the best? Spieth, Bubba Watson and McIlroy have each won two in the past four years, while Jason Day has a win and a whole cupboard full of top-four finishes in that span.

The game has legitimate stars competing for the top spot. That's different from the years before 2012 when 15 different players won the 16 majors from 2008-11. Padraig Harrington was the only player to win twice in that span and golf was searching for its stars. The parity was a bad thing in the sense that no player could drum up a consistent following and interest.

Times have changed. The lovable Watson has emerged as a consistent threat and McIlroy and Spieth have both had short runs that looked Tiger-esque. With the 2016 Masters underway, the game has an excitement around it that hasn't been seen since Woods went on the decline. The announcement that Woods wouldn't be at Augusta this year was met with the obvious media attention, but it was different than years past. 

No longer is Tiger's absence a "death sentence" for golf and rarely do casual fans refuse to tune in anymore just because Woods isn't playing. That once seemed unfathomable, but it speaks to the quality of play on the Tour now. 

The Masters is moving right along without Tiger and the game of golf is too. It's still yet to be seen if Woods will come back and be competitive, but know this: even if he never does, the game of golf will be just fine. The PGA's slogan, #TheseGuysAreGood, is true and it's worth tuning in.

Leicester City's Improbable Run Nearly Complete

With a 1-0 win Sunday against Southampton, Leicester City moved to seven points ahead of
Tottenham at the top of the Barclays Premier League table. Wes Morgan netted the game's lone goal, his first of the season, and Leicester took another step closer to completing its fairytale. In a league that's dominated by titans of the game, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, etc., Leicester has defied the 5000-1 odds and held the top spot for much of the season.

The story that is unfolding before us is one the Premier League has never experienced. Parity is a word solemn used when referring to the league except to say that there is none. 47 clubs have competed in the Premier League since it's inception in 1992, but only five have won the league. Manchester United's dominance is well-documented as the Red Devils have won the league 13 times. Chelsea has won four times, Arsenal three times, Manchester City twice and Blackburn once.

The league is more predictable than deciphering who the villain is in a Scooby-Doo episode. Leicester has defied the normal script though. The Foxes have a star in Jamie Vardy, who trails only Tottenham's Harry Kane in goals scored with 19, and they have a defense that has orchestrated 12 clean sheets, which is good for second in the league.

When did the world know Leicester was for real? The Foxes got off to an incredible start, losing only two games before the turn of the calendar. The losses came to classic heavyweights, Arsenal in the sixth game of the season, and Liverpool on Boxing Day at Anfield. Still, the dream seemed to be just that - a dream.

Since we welcomed in 2016, Leicester has gone 9-1-3 with the lone loss at Arsenal.  For anybody still doubting, Leicester reeled off wins over Tottenham, Stoke, Manchester City and Liverpool by a combined score of 9-1 from January 13 - February 6. The Foxes' favorable schedule since the Arsenal loss has led to five wins and a draw, and the 1-0 win Sunday over Southampton was yet another victory over a team fighting for a Champions League spot.

Six matches remain for Leicester, including dates at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, but there's no debate anymore: the Foxes are for real and this fairytale is in its final chapter. Barring a collapse of epic proportions, Leicester will win the league. It's an improbable story because of this: Leicester, before a promotion to the Premiership last season, hadn't even played in the BPL since 2004. The Foxes finished 14th last season and were at 5000-1 odds to win the title this year.

But the dream season is almost complete. Leicester is prepared to rewrite the narrative of the Premier League, quelling any leftover doubters in the final six weeks of the season. In a league dominated by clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal, LCFC will be crowned champion.

Who would have ever thought?